When It’s Not Just Your Call: Nosh Live LA 2026 Goes Inside the Founder-Board Relationship

It’s a hard lesson for CPG brands: the capital required for growth is rarely silent, and it often disagrees.

As emerging food companies raise money and grow, the founder’s job changes. Decisions once made alone are suddenly subject to new expectations and new forms of accountability. Investors and directors enter the conversation with their own experience, priorities and fiduciary responsibilities – and they won’t always agree with the founder about what comes next.

Navigating those moments is one of the less-discussed skills of building a CPG company. At Nosh Live LA on December 3 + 4, three experienced independent directors will share what they’ve learned from helping founders do it.

Sheryl O’Loughlin, Jamie Borteck and Bill Shen have each been repeatedly called on to advise and serve on the boards of emerging CPG brands. A company founder, a veteran sales and marketing executive, and a former investor, respectively, they bring different perspectives and passion to the same challenge: helping a founder make better decisions when the stakes, the company and the number of voices around the table are all getting bigger.

Their conversation at Nosh Live will go inside the situations they see founders encounter again and again: the decisions that become harder as a company grows; the tensions that develop between founders and investors; the blind spots that can trip up even strong CEOs; and the moments when an experienced outside voice can keep a difficult situation from becoming a damaging one.

Just as importantly, O’Loughlin, Borteck and Shen will talk about what they’ve seen successful founders learn along the way – how they develop as leaders, how they make use of their boards and advisors, and how they balance the conviction that got their companies started with the perspectives of people who have been through similar challenges before.

For founders already managing a board – and those considering the investment that will eventually put one around the table – it’s a chance to hear what experienced directors wish CEOs understood before the difficult conversations begin.

Early registration pricing is available through October 23.

Register for Nosh Live on December 3 + 4 >>

About Nosh Live

Nosh Live brings together founders, operators, retailers, investors, and industry partners across packaged food for editorial-led programming, product discovery, the Nosh Live Pitch Slam, and direct conversations around the decisions shaping food businesses.

About Sheryl O’Loughlin

Sheryl O’Loughlin has spent more than 25 years building, leading, and advising companies in the natural products industry, with experience on both sides of the boardroom table as a founder, CEO, board director, and advisor.

She is the former CEO of Clif Bar & Company, co-founder and CEO of Plum Organics, and former CEO of REBBL Organic Super Herb Elixirs. Across those roles, she led companies through rapid growth, financing, organizational change, brand expansion, and the strategic, financial, leadership, and cultural challenges that come with scaling a business.

Today, Sheryl serves on the board of Traditional Medicinals, where she chairs the Strategy Committee; as a board advisor to S. Martinelli & Company, where she chairs the Product Portfolio Committee; and on the board of One Step Closer to a Just and Prosperous Industry, a powerful sanctuary for natural products leaders. Her prior board service includes Simple Mills, PetIQ, Gardein, Zuke’s, thinkThin, and other consumer and mission-driven companies. Her governance experience spans entrepreneurial, family-owned, private equity-backed, public, and nonprofit organizations.

Sheryl is also the co-founder and former Board Chair of the Women on Boards Project, co-founder of the J.E.D.I. Collaborative, former Executive Director of Stanford Graduate School of Business’s Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, and author of Killing It: An Entrepreneur’s Guide to Keeping Your Head Without Losing Your Heart.

About Jamie Borteck

Jamie has spent over 20 years in CPG general management with emphasis in Sales & Marketing. After graduating with an MBA from Duke University in 2001, Jamie joined Kraft Foods and led teams on iconic brands such as Ritz and Chips Ahoy!. He was a key leader in the launch of the 100 Calorie Packs platform from concept to year one in market, leading to a $100MM business and IRI Pacesetter Award.

Jamie later joined start-up Food Should Taste Good, Inc. and was a key management team member to grow the company from 8 to 55 employees in 5 years to successful acquisition by General Mills in 2012. Jamie joined his next start-up, Justin’s, as SVP of Sales & Marketing and was a key impact player to triple its nut butter/chocolate business in 2 years and partner with private equity group VMG, which led to inevitable acquisition by Hormel. As President of Grillo’s Pickles for 5 years, Jamie expanded a local brand to become the national emerging category leader in retailers such as Whole Foods, Target, Publix, Ahold, and Costco, which led to eventual acquisition by King’s Hawaiian.

Jamie currently is a board member with a portfolio of emerging “fighter” brands, where he helps get them to start-up growth leadership.

About Bill Shen

Bill Shen is currently a Board Member or Strategic Advisor to Sun Noodle, Mason Dixie Foods, Chifles Chips, Atoria’s Bakery, Joyfull/Raison d’Etre Bakery, Laoban Foods, Mochi Foods, Prana Foods, and DeeBee’s Organics. Bill is a co-founder of With Pixie, and was previously an investor in and Board Member of Pretzilla which was sold to Benestar Brands/Highlander Capital in 2020. He was also a Board Member of Hodo Foods which was sold to Calbee, Inc. in 2025.

From 2019 to 2021, Bill helped to establish and lead Seaside Equity Partners, a San Diego based private equity firm. While at Seaside, Bill served on the Board of Directors for TalentsmartEQ, the authority in emotional intelligence training.

From 2008 to 2019, Bill was with Encore Consumer Capital, a San Francisco based private equity firm investing in lower middle market consumer goods companies. While at Encore, Bill served on the Board of Directors for Ancient Harvest (sold to Saco Foods), Brownie Brittle (sold to CapVest Partners), California Splendor (sold to Main Street Capital), Ciao Bella Gelato (sold to High Road), Navitas Organics (sold to Laird Superfood), PhillySwirl (sold to J&J Snack Foods), Thanasi Foods (sold to ConAgra), and Tourtellot, Inc. Bill began his career at Swander Pace & Co., a consultancy that was ultimately acquired by Accenture. Clients included General Mills, ConAgra, DuPont, VF Corporation, Cerberus Capital, Allied Capital, and Merrill Lynch Global Private Equity.

At Stanford University, Bill has served as a member of the Stanford Alumni Association Board of Directors, Chair of the Stanford Associates Board of Governors, member of the Stanford Athletics Board, and co-chair of several reunions and related campaigns. He is the recipient of The Stanford Medal and The Governor’s Award.

Bill is currently on the Board of Directors of Coastal Roots Farm, a non-profit regenerative organic farm. He also serves on the PTA Board and School Site Council for Capri Elementary. For ten years, Bill served on or chaired the Board of Directors of Wu Yee Children’s Services, a San Francisco based Early Head Start and family services non-profit. For the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) Greater Bay Area Chapter, Bill served on the Board of Trustees as well as a volunteer marathon and triathlon coach for its Team in Training fundraising program. In 2009, Bill was named LLS Greater Bay Area “Man of the Year”. Previously, Bill served on the National Finance Committee for former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro’s presidential campaign, and he currently serves on the Finance Committee for Rep. Mike Levin (CA-49).